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Star rating: Heat rating:

Maguire is bad luck.

No matter how many charms she buys off the internet or good luck rituals she performs each morning, horrible things happen when Maguire is around. Like that time the roller coaster jumped off its tracks. Or the time the house next door caught on fire. Or that time her brother, father, and uncle were all killed in a car crash—and Maguire walked away with barely a scratch.

It’s safest for Maguire to hide out in her room, where she can cause less damage and avoid new people who she could hurt. But then she meets Jordy, an aspiring tennis star. Jordy is confident, talented, and lucky, and he’s convinced he can help Maguire break her unlucky streak. Maguire knows that the best thing she can do for Jordy is to stay away. But it turns out staying away may be harder than she thought.

This book is pretty much…

PERFECTION.

I honestly have nothing critical to say about it.

First, let me say thank you to Jamie for buying it for me when I couldn’t get hold of it in the UK. Also, a big thank you to Paula Stokes for the signed bookplate!

There are so many things I loved about this book. The story opens up several years after a car accident that killed Maguire’s father, brother and uncle, yet left her unscathed. Soon after, she experiences other accidents that affect everyone but her. This leads Maguire to believe that she is cursed, and that it’s safer for everyone if she stays away from them. After moving to San Diego, Maguire begins seeing a therapist, which leads to her meeting incredible people and achieving more than she believed she could.

So let’s list the ways that this book kicked butt.

ONE. This book handled mental health issues in a positive and understanding way that I don’t think I’ve ever seen in a book before. It was hopeful, but it was also realistic. What I particularly loved is that it didn’t feel like Stokes had picked A Diagnosis and then ticked the boxes of symptoms. Yes, there were several labels mentioned, but Maguire’s experiences were treated as unique to her, and she wasn’t That Girl With ABC. I also loved how all of her behaviours had believable rationalisation behind them. They weren’t just behaviours for the sake of behaviours. Maguire truly wanted to get better, and while she made progress, she also stumbled and regressed. The book acknowledged that, while people can learn and cope better with mental health, it’s not a straightforward, linear process, and mental health issues don’t just go away; you simply learn to live with them better.

TWO. Maguire made some amazing friends who supported her without being overbearing, and who didn’t think of her as a “freak” or “crazy”. While they didn’t push her or say she was being silly, they also didn’t ignore the issue. Personally, I find that completely ignoring an issue is almost as bad as only focusing on it. They acknowledged her feelings and didn’t make her feel lesser for them, and that is just AMAZING. I’m actually a little envious of how amazing they were!

THREE. Maguire’s family dynamics were so well done. I loved how they all so clearly loved each other, and they wanted to help one another. Sometimes, they didn’t know how to best do that, but the intentions were pure. It was also great to see Maguire learn that she wasn’t alone in her grief, and that others were going through their own processes.

FOUR. None of the characters were stereotypes. Some of them seemed that way at first, like Kimber, but they all turned out to be humans. Individuals. All doing the best they could. Some of the tidbits that made them come alive included a certain girl loving cars and basketball, another person taking an interest in an activity their other half loved to simply understand the one they loved more and Maguire being academic, a big reader AND sporty. People can be more than one thing and have more than one type of interest, and this book shows that!

FIVE. BEST FOR FREAKING LAST. Jordy. Oh my lordy, Jordy. (No, I am not ashamed of that.) Ok, yes, he did have that cocky charm that I unabashedly fall in love with in books, but I don’t think he was a stereotype. He had his two sides, and I could completely relate. I also refer to myself in different parts. But even under the famous facade, he was so genuinely wonderful. He wanted to make people happy, but like Maguire, he needed to balance that with his own happiness. Plus, the two of them were so freaking good for each other! Their relationship was so sweet, and it progressed in a glorious slow build with stumbles that I could relate to.

Side note: my mom would be ridiculously happy if I dated Jordy. She loves tennis.

The ending was beautiful, and I wish I could keep living as Maguire. And with Jordy. Why can’t this book go on forever? It got me out of a funk of my own, but now I don’t know how I’m supposed to read anything else. This is definitely going on my favourites shelf, and I will likely reread my favourite parts many times over.

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0: Couldn't finish1: Want my precious reading hours back2: Could have done without it3: It was good, but it's not an essential read4: Really liked it and glad I picked it up5: Absolutely loved it and would read again

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